Thread Tools

I thought he looked pretty good out there tonight, but of course I'm tempering my expectations since they were playing against the second string, and NO's run defense sucks anyways. So I'm making sure not to get optimistic, but in the back of mind, it would help w/ both Mankins and Neal for him to show us a bit this year. There are a lot of you who know more about evaluating offensive linemen than I ever will, so let's hear from you guys: how'd he look?

Wasn't he one of the ones in the pile during the Maroney TD run to the outside?

Click to expand...

Yeah he was, he was the blocker that Maroney ran in behind. He made a nice block on one of the other touchdowns too, IIRC.

OTOH, Hernandez whiffed hard on one of Maroney's carries down by the goal line, and pretty much singlehandedly prevented the touchdown. If that's a pattern, then I doubt we'll be seeing much of him down by the goal line this year.

Yeah he was, he was the blocker that Maroney ran in behind. He made a nice block on one of the other touchdowns too, IIRC.

OTOH, Hernandez whiffed hard on one of Maroney's carries down by the goal line, and pretty much singlehandedly prevented the touchdown. If that's a pattern, then I doubt we'll be seeing much of him down by the goal line this year.

Click to expand...

You are correct Hernandez was tooled on the play. Fortunately the film does not lie.

If we are going to be a physical football team in the red zone, then Hernandez needs to become dedicated to blocking something other than air.

Hernandez is getting criticized by guys like Curran and Zolak. Both have commented that he carries himself with a great deal of entitlement. Hopefully, that is not the case and last night is a bit of wake up call when it comes to doing everything well like blocking in addition to making the highlight reel catch.

You are correct Hernandez was tooled on the play. Fortunately the film does not lie.

If we are going to be a physical football team in the red zone, then Hernandez needs to become dedicated to blocking something other than air.

Click to expand...

Luckily, I think we have enough depth at TE that, even if Hernandez doesn't become an adequate blocker, we can just not play him in the red zone. Gronkowski and Crumpler can both get the job done down there, from the looks of it.

O did a nice job at RG and was okay at Center. I put him a shade behind Wendell in the interior OL depth chart. After one preseason game I'd rank the reserves Connolly, Wendell, Orhnberger, Ghiaciuc, Bussey, Larsen.

On a related note, Bussey looked pretty good as a reserve LT and not bad at LG. I don't remember him getting any swing reps on the right side so I'm wondering if he's left side only?

Larsen is a work in progress, but I loved him at LG, especally when he led Jenkins on his big run, LeVoir sprung Jenkins and Larsen and the Center (I want to say Ghiaciuc, but I need to re-watch the game) cleared the way - sweet OL play!

Welch was the only reserve OL for whom I had a failing grade perspective, but I can see where Dante might make something of him after some time on the P-Squad.

O did a nice job at RG and was okay at Center. I put him a shade behind Wendell in the interior OL depth chart. After one preseason game I'd rank the reserves Connolly, Wendell, Orhnberger, Ghiaciuc, Bussey, Larsen.

On a related note, Bussey looked pretty good as a reserve LT and not bad at LG. I don't remember him getting any swing reps on the right side so I'm wondering if he's left side only?

Larsen is a work in progress, but I loved him at LG, especially when he led Jenkins on his big run, LeVoir sprung Jenkins and Larsen and the Center (I want to say Ghiaciuc, but I need to re-watch the game) cleared the way - sweet OL play!

Welch was the only reserve OL for whom I had a failing grade perspective, but I can see where Dante might make something of him after some time on the P-Squad.

Click to expand...

Larsen rescued himself with the run assist to Jenkins. But it was Bussey's kick-out block that sprung Jenkins, not Levoir. Larsen merely was an escort downfield.

Larsen looked terrible most every other play and was roadgraded for a sack and a forced pass incompletion/throw away. The sidelines shot of Professor Scarnecchia just shaking his head said it all.
Other times several he was just road-graded.

I was anxious to see what the interior reserves were able to do. I always thought Ohrnberger a Guard in college, was drafted to be a tough-guy, future Center, and could sub as a G.

When Larsen was drafted, I wondered what that meant. Was Ohrnberger not cutting the mustard? I am no longer concerned. He can play, and is not a wasted trade up pick.

And what about George Bussey? He is too short to be an NFL tackle, but he was a good enough talent to start for Louisville there and make All Big East for a couple of seasons. So an adequate LT has to be a great pass blocker as a G. Plus he is big enough to be a fine LG. I wondered about his mobility and ability to pull. I am now convinced that he could well be the eventual successor there, to a Nick Kaczur/Logan Mankins vacancy.

In general I think it isi way premature to judge the rookies Larsen and Welch. After a year in the Scarneccia O-line college on PS, then we will have a better idea.

O did a nice job at RG and was okay at Center. I put him a shade behind Wendell in the interior OL depth chart. After one preseason game I'd rank the reserves Connolly, Wendell, Orhnberger, Ghiaciuc, Bussey, Larsen.

On a related note, Bussey looked pretty good as a reserve LT and not bad at LG. I don't remember him getting any swing reps on the right side so I'm wondering if he's left side only?

Larsen is a work in progress, but I loved him at LG, especally when he led Jenkins on his big run, LeVoir sprung Jenkins and Larsen and the Center (I want to say Ghiaciuc, but I need to re-watch the game) cleared the way - sweet OL play!

Welch was the only reserve OL for whom I had a failing grade perspective, but I can see where Dante might make something of him after some time on the P-Squad.

Larsen rescued himself with the run assist to Jenkins. But it was Bussey's kick-out block that sprung Jenkins, not Levoir. Larsen merely was an escort downfield.

Larsen looked terrible most every other play and was roadgraded for a sack and a forced pass incompletion/throw away. The sidelines shot of Professor Scarnecchia just shaking his head said it all.
Other times several he was just road-graded.

I was anxious to see what the interior reserves were able to do. I always thought Ohrnberger a Guard in college, was drafted to be a tough-guy, future Center, and could sub as a G.

When Larsen was drafted, I wondered what that meant. Was Ohrnberger not cutting the mustard? I am no longer concerned. He can play, and is not a wasted trade up pick.

And what about George Bussey? He is too short to be an NFL tackle, but he was a good enough talent to start for Louisville there and make All Big East for a couple of seasons. So an adequate LT has to be a great pass blocker as a G. Plus he is big enough to be a fine LG. I wondered about his mobility and ability to pull. I am now convinced that he could well be the eventual successor there, to a Nick Kaczur/Logan Mankins vacancy.

In general I think it isi way premature to judge the rookies Larsen and Welch. After a year in the Scarneccia O-line college on PS, then we will have a better idea.

Click to expand...

I think if you check the tape again on the Jenkins play you'll see #64 scaring that poor little DB into a nose dive and not #66. As for Bussey playing Tackle, if Scar didn't think he could, LeVoir would have drawn second string LT. Larsen had plenty of errors, but I saw some good too, I think he'll come along fine.

Mark! I don't know if Ghiaciuc is out yet or not. I started with a blank slate on him and he impressed me on his first outing, I think he'll be competitive with Wendell, O, & company if he keeps playing the way he did last night - Connolly is in no danger.

I think if you check the tape again on the Jenkins play you'll see #64 scaring that poor little DB into a nose dive and not #66. As for Bussey playing Tackle, if Scar didn't think he could, LeVoir would have drawn second string LT. Larsen had plenty of errors, but I saw some good too, I think he'll come along fine.

Mark! I don't know if Ghiaciuc is out yet or not. I started with a blank slate on him and he impressed me on his first outing, I think he'll be competitive with Wendell, O, & company if he keeps playing the way he did last night - Connolly is in no danger.

Hernandez is getting criticized by guys like Curran and Zolak. Both have commented that he carries himself with a great deal of entitlement. Hopefully, that is not the case and last night is a bit of wake up call when it comes to doing everything well like blocking in addition to making the highlight reel catch.

Click to expand...

I heard that but I think it was Gresh. It did not seem like a huge problem (unlike Jimmy Clausen who arrived at Notre Dame in a stretch Hummer limousine) but something to watch out for. Gresh just said he was immature.